Fade to Black Minis
by RosarioVampireBoy
Summary: Taking place after Fade to Black but before Bonds, these are but a few of the duo's minor adventures as the relationship between humans and monsters progress. A team thought to be impossible, a potion that turns anyone into a love crazed deviant, and a day at the beach they'll not soon forget.
1. Story 1: Chapter 1 Humans and Monsters

Fade to Black Minis

#1 Humans and Monsters

Chapter 1

Two months, for three long months they'd lived with humans knowing of their existence, but unlike what they though things weren't so bad. Sure they got a bottle of alcohol thrown at them every so often, most of which his father was drink, but for the most part it seemed more and more people were becoming more accepting of the truth. Shoot, the previous month one of the local apartment builds caught on fire due a lit cigaret, and before the firemen could even get there their trusting pal Frank had already gone inside and rescued the poor woman before she could be burnt to a crisp. As for the young vampire and his friends, well after their encounter with Nightmare things began winding down. Hardly any monsters showed up to disturb the peace, and with the fan hype dying down most of his kind shed their human forms, just like him.

The day began as any other for the two partners, at the arcade. Unfortunately the beach was always packed, so instead they had to make do with what they had around. Even so, video games were a good way to spend their time, at least to them. And with it being a beautiful day, was there any reason not to?

"Dang it, alright, you won't score again." he said before placing the puck on the table.

"We'll see." he replied with a cocky smile.

Air hockey, the test of reflexes and speed. A game that truly helped out in their training, and one she could beat him at.

"Heh don't get too cocky. You've only gotten one in so far." he said before hitting the puck back at her.

"Mhm, you're pretty good, but I'm still the best." she replied in a cocky tone before hitting it back.

Though he never wanted to admit it, she was. At almost every game she'd always beat him, although he wasn't to bad at Dance Escape. But if she wanted a challenge fine, he'd give her one. As the puck came back at him he used a small bit of his power to swat it back at her, but this time she couldn't react fast enough.

"I believe that's twenty to twenty?"

"Alright, you wanna play dirty, then let's play dirty." she thought before reaching for her top.

"What are you doing?" he asked, confused by what she was doing.

No answer, instead she unbuttoned the top four buttons of her top; giving him a clear view of her developing chest.

"Oh no, breasts, my one weakness." he thought as he dropped his mallet.

"Something wrong? Want to surrender?" she asked while leaning over the table.

"Uh...no, let's just play." he said before knocking it back at her.

Damn the female body, his only big weakness, besides water, garlic, a wooden stake through the heart, and the sun. Maybe if he thought of something else and ignored it his mind would be more focused.

"Get it together Alucard, she's your friend. Not a potential lover. But what if she grows into a lovely~" he thought only to hear the sound of the buzzer go off.

"Hah, in your face!" she exclaimed with great pride.

"Fine, but you and your two girls are going down next time." he said before throwing in the towel.

If she was honest, she loved teasing him. It was pretty funny seeing this powerful monster lose to a simple game because he saw her chest. Good times. But with the end of the game came the end of her fun as she buttoned it back up.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked.

Oh, he had something he wanted to do as he appeared behind her; his hands wrapped her tightly.

"Oh, I know what I want to do, but is it what you want to do?" he whispered in her ear.

"Alright, now you're just being creepy." she said, but instead of struggling she just let him have his fun.

"Creepy, or sexy? Come on Julie, just let it into your body. Once you go vampiric you never go back." he hissed before running his hands over her stomach.

The last time he used his mesmerizing voice the girl almost instantly feel for him, and it seemed to work wonders on his own partner as he began biting down on her neck.

"Okay, no." he head before being shoved off via dark matter.

"Ouch, come on I was just kidding. You didn't have to go and punch me in the gut." he said while grabbing his stomach.

"Then next time don't try seducing me." he told him in a stern tone.

"Oh yeah, says Ms. Titties."

Their quarrel would have to wait, something else was going on that required their attention. In a flash they saw Jerel fly by, looking like some kind of mutant gorilla. Lucky for him the chairs and table outside the nearby café broke his fall.

"You okay?" Alucard asked as they helped him up.

"Never better, but it's not me you should worry about." he told them while pointing towards the angry wolf like creature headed their way.

"What that? It doesn't look all that bad." she said.

When she said that though they watched as its muzzle peeled open like a banana as multiple tongues shot out; shattering the glass of the local bakery before it grabbed a few pies for itself.

"Oh, okay I get it. Has it hurt anyone?"

"Six, they were having a get together, and I guess it decided to crash their party."

"How badly?"

"Two cuts to the waists, one to the face, and some puncture wounds."

"Good, I like 'em rough. You stay here alright?" he said as she changed form.

"No problem, kick its ass guys."

"Will do." she said before leaping into action.

First things first, they needed to keep it away from civilians, and she had just the solution. With it mostly focused on him it gave her an opening. With her plan in mind the top of her container popped off before the black particles dropped to the ground. With them she spread them around before using them to lock its legs in place.

"Nice job, now it's just a matter of killing it." Alucard told her as he pulled out his sword.

However, they weren't alone in their little endeavor . As he approached the beast the sounds of a motorcycle approached. Quickly he turned to see who it was, but it looked like any ordinary human.

"Hey, it's not safe here! You need to turn around and go back!" he called out to them.

But they still weren't stopping. Well if they weren't going to stop on their own, then he was going to force them. While the beast struggled against her he turned to face the cyclist; his hands at the ready. Being that it was human made it wouldn't kill him, but it would still hurt. With a deep breath he braced him as he and the vehicle collided, but with a good grip on the handle bars and his feet skidding across the ground, the civilian began slowing down. But then something unexpected happened. They jumped off and towards the rogue.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Julie exclaimed as the beast began breaking free.

Whoever this person was, they weren't going to listen. They were probably too stupid to run away, or so they thought. While in the air their mysterious fighter pulled out three long and thin needle; both dripping with a green substance. And with one good throw they penetrated the deformed canine's flesh.

"Who is this guy?" Alucard asked, watching in some amazement.

"No clue, maybe it's Locke?"

"Check again, do you see green?" he asked, motioning to the bare white fingers.

Within two seconds the monster settled down as it fell into a deep sleep, but they weren't done yet. With both hand they pulled their crotch rocket off the ground, and while doing so it began to shift; changing shape into something that resembled a gun.

"You may want to cover yourself." suggested Alucard as he raised his hood.

Within second she had a barrier up to keep her mother's outfit clean. Good thing too because shortly afterwards their little trooper began blasting away at the creature. Blood and guts went everywhere, the walls, windows, nothing was safe except for Julie who had more sense than her partner.

"I think you got it!" he yelled as blood covered his face.

Did they take the hint? Apparently, or maybe they stopped because there was nothing left to shoot. After disposing of their rogue friend the gun transformed back before their mysterious brawler sped away.

"What just happened?" she asked before turning to him, hid body dripping with blood.

"Ugh, I don't know but that thing tastes terrible." he answered before spitting it out.

So that was a thing, and she just couldn't wait to get back to the club so she could tell everyone how he got cockblocked. So after a quick shower they were off to join their friends for some drinks. The good news was they had gotten in some new drinks to test, and Jerel couldn't be any happier; probably because he was the one testing them.

"So wait, you're telling me you, a great and powerful vampire, got cock blocked? Hold on for a second." Locke said before bursting out into laughter.

"Hah hah yeah right, like you've never been before." he replied while slurping down a bottle of fresh blood his mother gave him.

"And it's usually you. So how does it feel? Does it make you angry?" he asked before poking his nose.

Bad move, and for that he lost his hand as he threw it in trash can.

"No baby, come back!" he cried out before running after it.

"Did you get a real on his essence?" asked Jerel.

"Nope, actually I couldn't pick anything up from him."

"Weird."

It was a pretty common occurrence for monsters to sense each other's presence, but this guy gave off nothing.

"Maybe he's a new type?" Julie suggested.

"Possibly, who knows what other kind of monsters are out there. Did you get the number on his plate?"

"He kind of ran away before I could see it."

"And you didn't pursue why?"

"You saw me, I looked like a red gummy."

"Anyways, should we search for him or just let him go?" asked Julie.

"I'd say let him go for now, but if he interferes again then nab him."

"Gotcha."

Whoever this person was had no business doing what they did. Only those who signed up for such services with Frank could fight those things. And if he returned, then they'd have a message for him.


	2. Story 1: Chapter 2 A Challenger Approach

Chapter 2

A Challenger Approaches

Who was their mysterious combatant? A new recruit? Possibly, but normally Frank would let them know if anyone new had joined so they could show them the ropes. Or maybe they were a vigilante, and only wished to steal their thunder. The possibilities were endless, and with that helmet on neither of them could get a look at his face. Whatever, at least they still had the rest of the day to themselves. With still half a day left before sun down, they both decided to walk around and check out how everyone was doing.

"Want to go back to my place and game it up?" Julie offered.

"Nah, I'm afraid your dad may pull a Snake on us."

"Oh he's not that nosey."

He knew she was lying as he cast a doubtful look at her.

"Okay he is." she asked, having nothing really to do herself.

"Yeah he is. Wait, how about the local pool? The sun, the cool refreshing water, and the women." he answered, drooling a bit from the last part.

"And what about your condition?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'll just stay out of the water, problem solved. Plus, I've got some money to buy some tanning oil."

"But I don't tan."

"Who says it's for you. Unless you want to experiment." he said with a devious grin across his face.

"I'm good thank you. Wait, wasn't there a new game coming out today?" she asked, having saved up for it.

"Let me check." he said before pulling out his phone.

"If so we're really close. We can go there, pick it up, and go back to your place to relax." she said excitedly.

"I don't see why not. And bingo, Tactical Fantasy Ten?" he asked, showing her the web page.

"That's it, come on let's go." she replied before grabbing the sleeve of his jacket.

Why she enjoyed the tactical genre he'd never understand. To him they were always to slow for his taste, especially for an RPG. For him personally, turn based and hack and slashes were his favorites. Well at least the trip wouldn't be a total waste. Apparently they'd gotten in more games for his handheld, but which one to get? He only had fifty-five dollars, so he couldn't be careless in his choice.

"Hm, a new RPG, or maybe some credits. Grrrr, why can't this ever be simple?" he asked himself before putting the game back.

Then he saw it, a game he was sure would grant him many hours of entertainment. It looked like some sort of visual novel, and it had three very attractive women on the front. The cover said it all, quality, to him at least. But after finding her game she saw him staring at the case with such passion, or maybe it was lust. Either way he seemed way into the women.

"Come on pervert. We've got things to do." she said while grabbing his ear before pulling him away.

Luckily she didn't pull it off, but unfortunately he couldn't find anything that really stuck with him. Oh well, maybe during next month's shipment there would be something good for him to boot up. At least she was happy as she read the back of the box. If there was one thing he needed though it was blood. Having only drank one bottle in the last six hours, it didn't really help his appetite. Looking at Julie though really made him want some.

"Hey uh Juls, a quick favor?" he asked while standing behind her.

"Hm? What is it?" she asked before seeing him come in for a bite.

Knowing his situation though, she didn't stop him as his fangs punched through her skin and into her neck. It was kind of funny, at first having him drink from her felt pretty weird, but now it didn't hurt at all. And maybe it was just that she was a bit sensitive around the neck, but it actually tickled from time to time.

"Damn it's so sweet. I guess the blood matches the person he said while drinking.

"Are you done? People are starting to look." she asked of him as a blush spread across her face.

With a slight nod be pulled off before licking her wound closed, just as he always did.

"Mmmm! I tell you what, your blood could feed me for an eternity." he said while licking the leftovers off his mouth.

"Glad you like it." she said while smiling.

So with her video game in hand, and their next stop planned both made their way towards town square. While walking though a familiar sound rang in his ear.

"You hear that?" he asked her.

"Hear what?"

"He's getting close. Move!" he said before pushing her out-of-the-way.

With her out of danger he jumped in the air and performed a back flip just in time to not get hit by their cockblocker. Once on the ground again he helped turned to face their masked fighter.

"Check out who's returned." he pointed out.

"Him again? What do want this time?" she asked in a more frustrated tone.

And he still refused to talk. Instead he pointed straight at Alucard, like he wanted to fight him.

"You wanna fight?" he asked.

With a nod he finally got the idea.

"Hm, Juls, could you get people to move? Oh, and set up a little arena for us." he asked of her before cracking his knuckles.

If they fought he didn't want anyone getting hurt.

"Alright people make room." she ordered before emptying her container.

While everyone moved she used her matter to create a simple arena, complete with a fence to keep them inside, and a floor, so they wouldn't wreck the floor already below the.

"Be careful Al, you saw what he did to that thing earlier." she mentioned.

"Yeah, I remember clearly. Just make sure neither of us leaves this cage." he told her before stepping away.

Out of the two things he'd seen him use before, the needles were the biggest threat. Luckily he had something planned to combat those, and as for the gun, simple bullets, nothing to worry about. To kick things off he began by stretching.

"Not to sound like a jerk, but you do realize what you're fighting right? I mean you must have some really big gonads to pull something like this. But if you ever feel like ditching again then please feel free, there's no shame in it. Well, maybe a bit."

Still no response, weird, that usually got to others. Still, it was strange. Even though they were about to face off he couldn't sense any presence from him. Was it possible he'd found a way to hide it? Well whatever he was, it was best to keep up his guard. Who knew what little tricks she had of her sleeves.

"On the count of three. One, two, three!" Julie announced as everything gathered at watch.

He took no time in attacking as he found himself being rushed right from the start with a pair of needles waiting just for him.

"Well if he's gonna pull that crap then bring it on." he thought while calling for his own weapon.

Just like before he jumped in the air to release three needles, but this time he was fighting someone a bit more skilled than a random mutant wolf. With his blade spinning he blocked all three before going in for the attack. With his fists at the ready he began rapidly punching, while he tried blocking all with his arms.

"Should have thought this through more huh? You're not just dealing with the average monsters here, but one of the elite!" he cried out before swinging in for a big punch.

Direct hit right in the stomach, but due to the sunny day the strike wasn't as effective. Still it looked like it had some effect as he clenched his stomach. But he too hadn't escaped unscathed.

"What's this feeling in my arm?" he questioned before looking down.

In his arm was one of her needles, and although it wasn't putting him to sleep, his arm felt very tired and useless.

"But when did he...no. When I punched, he much have stuck one in." he said while twitching his fingers.

Although it wasn't that strong, his arm still felt slightly weaker. But he could still use it as he went back on the offensive. Right punch, left punch, and finally a sweep kick to trip him up.

"Not gonna lie, this is a lot less impressive than before." he told him while scratching the back of his head.

Having heard that seemed to get under his skin as he grabbed his motorbike. With it in hand the machine began shifting once again, but this time into something different, a sword.

"Well that's new." he said before grabbing his own.

It looked no bigger than a katana, but no doubt there was some secret behind it. With both mind and body at the ready he charged forth before kicking off the ground. With his sword up he fell let himself fall right towards him as he too raised his blade to block. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, but he had the upper hand due to his strength.

"Heh, he's got some impressive strength, but lets see how he handles this." he thought before charging his blade with pure dark energy.

As his red eyes glowed the power inside only grew, but he too had a secret weapon. Doing just as he did, or at least what appeared the same, a blue aura appeared around the blade as he pushed back against him. It was a push to the finish as he found himself winning, but as he looked down he saw something shocking.

"You've gotta be kidding." he thought before jumping back.

"What was that for? You had him." Julie questioned.

"Shhhh, daddy's fighting." he told her.

"Hmph, fine." she said before stepping back.

So he couldn't kill him, but maybe if he exposed him for what he really was he'd chicken out, at least that's what thought. It was worth a shot. And so with his sword out he charged at full speed towards his opponent, only to dodge his incoming strike. Once he spun around and the sword left his hand, he grabbed ahold of the helmet, and with one swift pull exposed him for what he really was.

"Hah! I knew it, you're not one of us at all! You're a human, and a...girl?" he questioned before stepping back.

As the crowd gasped as what they'd saw some couldn't help but admire not only her courage, but also her beauty. Her long purple hair flowed behind her while she cast those green apple eyes at them. But as everyone looked at her she began backing up before looking back at him.

"Oh uh, sorry about that. If I knew you were human then..." he said while walking towards her.

But that only made it worse as she covered her face to escape the embarrassment.

"Look I'm sorry if I hurt you too badly." he said before touching her shoulder.

Upon touching her, the blade beside her began hovering before it began shifting again, but this time into a being. Its blue eyes lit up as it looked down at him; towering over him by at least three feet. And to top things off it didn't look happy at all.

"Leave her alone!" it screeched before smacking him in the guy.

"Gah! Julie!" he tried out before hitting the fence.

"Gotcha, you won't escape." she said, determined to detain them both.

But as she learned, don't screw around with a robot equipped with laser guns. With its partner cradled in one arm it jumped clean, but not before getting its foot caught in the attacking matter.

"I said to leave us alone!" it cried out before blasting away at it.

Piece by piece the black particles broke up; allowing it break free and escape.

"Dang." she said under her breath before helping Al up from the ground.

"Thanks." he said before brushing off his shirt.

"You okay?"

"Eh, besides getting smacked by a Transformer I'm pretty good." he answered.

"Good, but what about her?"

"I'm thinking." he answered before pulling the needle from his arm.

They needed more info on this girl, and while they couldn't just go straight up to her and ask for info, they did have someone who could probably help out.


	3. Story 1: Chapter 3 Something Worth

Chapter 3

Something Worth Fighting For

For what it was worth, she didn't fight half bad. Her form was slightly off, but for a human she managed pretty well against someone of his caliber. Now if he'd been at full strength it would have been a different story, but the past was the past. Still, he couldn't figure out why a human like her would want to risk her life-like that fighting off beasts that could easily kill her if given the opportunity. Well with a bit of info there was hope they could learn something about her. And who did they go to for such information? Mellina, if anyone sold her such toxins it was probably their good old friend, Mellina.

"So can you tell us anything about it?" Julie asked curiously.

"Hm, judging by the color and the scent, I'd say this someone dipped it in my stun serum."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that." he replied while rotating his now normal arm.

"How many did you get hit with?" she asked while setting it down.

"Just one, why?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, let's just say any more and that arm of yours may had well not existed."

"You're serious? It's that strong?" he asked.

"Oh heck yeah, remember a few weeks back when we took down the leviathan?"

"Yep."

"You noticed how it just went down easily?"

"Uh huh, wait, no."

"Oh yes, I used just a bit of this on its head, and down it went. Amazing what combination toxins plus a touch of magic can do to the body."

That actually made him a bit more nervous. Just two of those things and he'd be down for the count , just right for killing. But out of all of this there was still the issue of their girl's name. If they found her name, then they could track her down and get some answers.

"You said you wanted to know who the buyer was, right?"

"Yeah, think you can help us out?" asked Julie.

"Well, not many people come in here to buy this stuff, and very rarely to women. However, with this big guy we'll find her in no time." she answered before lifting a big tome out from under the desk.

"And that is?"

"A log, when people check out they're required to write their name, the date they were here, and the item they obtained, just in case something goes wrong. You know, the norm." she replied before flipping it open.

"That's normal?" they both thought while she looked.

And so while she did her thing they began brainstorming about what to do once they caught her. Since she hadn't done anything totally wrong, they couldn't just jail her. But they couldn't have an innocent human running around doing that kind of work.

"What do you suppose we do with her?" she asked.

"Hm, well I could eat her and." he said before she jabbed him in the side.

"Not funny." she replied with a serious face.

"Kidding, anyways I'd say we sit her down, and break it to her. Sound good?"

"Yeah, but what happens if that thing is there?" she replied, thinking about the robot who'd stopped her before.

"If it tries to get in out way." he answered before reaching out with his hand.

"You're gonna dance with it?"

"I'm gonna pull out its heart, and then eat it."

"But it's probably full of oil."

He hadn't thought of that before.

"Then I'll...step on it?"

"Good boy." she said with a fake smile while patting his back.

Just then something came up as Mellina pulled their attention back to her.

"So I looked it up. There's only been two people this week that bought the stuff. One by the name of Alfred Wayne."

"Not her." he replied.

"And another by Rachel Alexander."

"Possibly her, could you write that name down for us?" he asked of her.

"Sure thing."

In a flash she had the name written down and to them. With their name in hand both left the store to start their search.

"Hey Julie, why don't you head home? I know you're probably tired and you want to play your new game." he suggested.

"What about her?"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." he said with a toothy smile.

She had to think about it for a second. What if another fight broke out? Would he be alright? Then again the most he suffered last time was a semi weak arm.

"Deal, but when your done could you come over and play with me please?" she asked with her big puppy dog eyes.

"But you know I'm not a fan of."

"Please?" she asked before the first button on her top popped.

Nope, he wasn't falling for that again!

"Alright, I'll play the game with you."

"Thanks, I'll see you later!" she shouted while running off.

And with that out-of-the-way he began his search. First things first, he needed to hit the library for their computers, since theirs were broken.

"Damn Julie and those damn breasts. Maybe I should shrink them a bit, then I could do anything without then getting in the way." he thought with a toothy grin.

He really needed to see someone about that, but there no time for that, he had a target to find. With the library being just a short walk away it took him no time at all to get there. There sure were a lot of people though, mostly with college students who were determined to get a jump on their next classes. Now all he had to do was sign in and get to work.

"Rachel Alexander, she's gotta be in her twenties. With a body like that? Or maybe she's just developed early." he thought while pulling back the chair.

But before he could sit down something caught his eye. A girl with tied up purple hair who looked suspiciously like their target. Was it her? There was only one way to find out. So with as much determination as he had welling up inside him, he decided to ask her. Straight to the point, no side questions, he needed to know.

"Hey." he asked before tapping her shoulder.

He only needed to see her face, and if he was wrong then it was back to the grindstone. But he had a good feeling he'd just found the one he was looking for. As she turned he saw them, those emerald-green eyes that he'd seen before. And hey, she even had the same expression, the look of embarrassment.

"Okay, don't get upset. I'm only here to ask you and there you go." he sighed as she took off.

Figures, the most he could do was follow her and try to cut her off at the best opportunity.

"Hey Rachel, I only need to talk to you, just for a few minutes! I swear!" he called out while following her.

No answer still, was she just a natural mute? Well, if she wasn't going to talk then he was just going to have to make her. With a plan in mind he dove into the surrounding shadows; following her until he could head her off. If his plan worked she'd find herself down the alleyway and at a dead-end.

"Excuse me, could your possible spare some time?" he asked after appearing in front of her.

Not to his surprised, it worked. Now she'd have to stand there and listen to his questions. Once she hit the brick wall it was over. All she could do was watch as he got closer and closer.

"Okay finally, making some progress. Listen, all I want to know is how."

But while distracted he failed to notice the escape ladder and entrance that she'd taken an interest in. After hearing him talk she jumped on the ladder before climbing like a monkey up to the platform above, before pulling up and jumping through the window of the house.

"For heck's sake, could you stay still for one second? Okay fine, you want to play hard, I'll play hard too." he said impatiently.

He had no need for ladders though, not when he had his super jump. With his legs bent and power surging from the bottom of his shoes, he gave a good kick off the ground; sending himself straight to the top with no effort at all. Once up there he jumped through the window, only to find a nursery.

"She's quite the spider monkey. But why this house?" he thought before sliding down the stairwell, towards the bottom floor.

There was another with almost the same layout on her right as well. Well whoever owned the house had some pretty nice taste in art. Pictures of different monsters and fighters covered the walls, with a few paintings thrown in for extra flavor. It also had a nice atmosphere; really peaceful and tranquil. All that ended though when he was greeted with a frying pan to the face.

"Really? Are you being serious right now? A frying pan." he said before yanking it from her hands.

In her fear she began backing up before grabbing a knife off the counter before driving it right in his chest.

"This is just sad." he told her before pulling it out.

She couldn't handle it anymore. Without her weapon she nothing but a buffet for him. There was only thing she could do.

"A-Axel!" she called out.

"Axel?" he questioned before getting tackled by the large robot.

Using just a bit of his strength though it took nothing at all to throw it off.

"Would you two just chill for a second?! For fuck sake, all I need are some answers." he asked of them.

"Then state, what is your business here? Why are you in our house?!" it exclaimed in anger while raising its gun.

"Good, there we go, now as for why I'm here? I saw her at the library, I approached her, she ran, I needed answers so I followed after her, and here we are."

The tension was real, but it all died down when it lowered its weapon.

"Is this true?" it asked her.

She seemed to have a hard time talking, but after a few seconds she finally fessed up.

"Yeah, sorry Axel. I just panicked."

"Panic, really? I know I'm not the most handsome of monsters out there, but damn."

"No it's not that. I..." but the moment she was about to spill the beans the baby began crying.

"Baby call?"

"Sorry, I'll be right back." she told them before running upstairs.

"There was a baby up there?" he asked himself.

And just like that the tension was back on.

"So uh, Axel was it? I take it you're a boy?" he questioned.

"Of course, why would think not?" he asked.

"Well, you've kind of got this guy not guy think going on. Your slender like a woman, but your voice is definitely male, and you've got nothing down under."

"That's just the way we're born. I can upgrade though if you'd like to see."

"No, I'm good thank you."

Things only got more awkward as they sat together on her couch.

"So, I take it you're her boyfriend then?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous. I'm merely here for her protection."

"Right, so is that why you're living with her?"

"Affirmative."

"Cool. Also one more thing, I swear, what are you made of?"

"Huh?"

"It's just, I've never seen your kind before. Is it like normal metal?"

"Close, organically grown. When born our form is nothing more than a big glob of liquid metal, but the course of our first week our true forms will start to take shape. And we'll grow and mature just like you."

"Oh nice, so like an egg."

"Eh, close enough."

But just when things were getting interesting, down she came with the crying child; ending their conversation.

"Is he alright?" asked Axel.

"I think so, but I can't get him to fall asleep." she answered worryingly while rocking the child back and forth in her arms.

Thinking about it, this was his chance to prove he was there to help her.

"Hey um, if you want, I can help." he asked of her.

"Huh? How?" she asked cautiously.

"Just a sec."

With his eyes wide open he watched as the baby boy's eyes opened. In that moment he gave him a hard stare; activating his sleeper stare in the process. Being a baby though it didn't take long for it to take effect; its little eyes closing as it finally stopped crying.

"There, that should keep him quiet for a few hours."

"What did you do?" she asked, a bit surprised with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Oh don't worry, he's just sleeping. I use it all the time when I feed on others in town, but I figured it would work just fine in this situation. And don't worry, he'll sleep peacefully. No side-effects, I swear." he promised.

The look on her face spelled out surprised, but also relief as she sat down; cradling her child with her.

"So, I assume you want to know about what happened earlier?" she asked, looking a bit more worried than before.

"Well yeah, don't you know that's dangerous? I mean props for using my friend's stuff to take it down, but that was a small fry compared to others. How long have you been doing this anyways?"

"I don't know, a few weeks?"

"A few weeks?! Damn, well props to you for that, but then how come I haven't seen you?"

Axel seemed to have the answer to that.

"She normally finds them using my scanner before anyone else sees them, but the one from today slipped past us."

"Oh, but why do this? Aren't you afraid for your baby's life?"

"Yes of course! It's just, after his father left I knew if anything happened to him it would be on my shoulders. So I decided to gear up and hunt them down before they got to close to my little Tanner."

Her efforts seemed rather noble, and her answers provided him with great insight. But still, could he really just let her continue? They were arround to protect them after all, but if she found ways to protect herself and her family, then was it right for him to interfere?

"You're really dead set on doing this aren't you?"

All she gave was a nod before looking over at him.

"Please, you must understand." Axel began saying until he raised his hand to silence him.

"Okay look, I want you to meet me at the beach by the old sewer drain at say eleven tomorrow morning. Bring your gear and Axel, we'll get this figured out." he told her before getting up.

What was once a face of worry had turned into a face of hope as she watched him open the door.

"Oh, what's your name?" she asked.

"Alucard." he answered before leaving.

What he had planned was risky, but if it worked out, the set-up could change for the better. Humans and monsters working together, if it was anything like her and Axel, then it would be an awesome sight to behold.


	4. Story 1: Chapter 4 Rise of New Ranks

Chapter 4

The Rise of New Ranks

Well, the day had come. Whatever he had planned for her she'd approach it headstrong and with dignity. Still, it confused her about why he wanted her to meet by the large sewer line. To her it was an entry way to a dank, stinky, and often rat infested place. But to them it was a home away from home. A place where their fellow monsters could go to prepare for the real world above. Even though a lot had left the Underground, some decided to stay behind until they were ready to face the humans. Meanwhile they could train and relax all they wanted.

"Where is she? I told her at exactly eleven o'clock this morning yeah? Come on girl, where are you?" he asked, realizing it was already two minutes passed the scheduled time.

If she didn't show of then his friends would be plenty pissed at him for wasting almost half their day, especially Ela who'd taken time off from the club to help out. But just when he was about to give up and return inside, he heard her pull up; riding Axel as always. It seemed she decided to wear her normal biker gear. Good it would help not to worry those still living below.

"You're late." he sternly told her.

"I know, I'd lost some of my gear this morning and was running all over to find it. Please don't be mad with us." she asked of him as she bowed.

Though he was one to mostly be on time, he knew there were those days when things just didn't seem to go as planned.

"It's cool, just as a friendly tip though, get a belt or something to carry your stuff." he told her as Axel transformed into a blade for her.

Before they could enter the huge pipe though, a loud yell could be heard coming up on them as he looked back.

"Alucard!" he heard.

Looking back he saw his partner running at him with all she had; sand flying into the air as she cast a deadly glare at him.

"Crap crap, alright just go straight and you'll find a wall. Push on it and you'll see an elevator. Pull the lever and you're there." he told her while preparing for her.

"But what about the others?" she asked, not knowing what the others looked like.

"Here's a picture, find them and get started. I'll join you when we're done here."

"Will you be alright?" she asked worryingly.

"Heh, the worst she can do is kick my ass. Now go!" he shouted.

Knowing this information she did as he said while he prepared for his partners assault.

"You promised me yesterday you dick!" she shouted.

"Come on Juls, it's just a game. Look, I promise later today I'll come play with you. I promise!" he pleaded.

"Too late!" she replied angrily as a wave of matter appeared behind her.

"Mother..." he whimpered as it crashed down on him.

All she could hear were a bunch of grunts and yells as she moved along the tunnel. Though for a sewer pipe it was rather clean. No mold or gunk on the walls, no rats, barely any water, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. But when they approached the wall Axel stopped her so they could talk.

"Are you sure about this Rachel? I know you're determined to do this, but what if something goes wrong?" he asked while sitting in her hand.

"I know, I'm worried to, but if it means protecting our little child then I'll take those risks." she said before giving the wall a good shove.

"Our child?" he asked

"I mean my child! Yeah, ehehe." she corrected herself nervously as the door slid open.

Their minds were distracted though when they saw what was hidden from them for so long. A whole city made from wood and pipes that ran under their very own. And down below, monsters, a lot of them. It almost surprised him the most. How hadn't someone found it? It was probably protected by an illusion spell or something similar.

"Well, you ready?" he asked as she stepped into the elevator.

"Yeah, you'll be with me right?" she asked before grabbing the lever.

"Until the end." he promised as they both descended into the new city.

With her visor pulled up everything became a lot clearer. What an amazing sight for the both of them, even if it seemed a bit run down in comparison to their own home. It still had a charm that both liked.

"You did remember to call the babysitter right?" he asked while thinking of the child.

"Mhm."

"Good girl."

After hitting the bottom floor though the nerves began setting the best of her as she flipped her visor down. Seeing so many monsters one place, it wasn't something she was use to. Shoot, Axel was really the only monster she knew. Not to mention she knew nothing about who was down there. There could have been molesters or even rapists.

"You're nervous aren't you?" he asked.

With a nod of her head she answered as he took her right hand.

"It's okay, we'll be fine. Do you still have the picture?"

"Yeah, here." she said before handing it to him.

"Perfect, just hold on. I'll find 'em for us." he told her in his soothing voice.

If she was leading them it would have taken all day, but with him, mere second. With the photo raised his blue eyes turned green as he scanned the images. With this he could run through all being around them, no matter how far away, and pin point their location so long as nothing was in the way. Person by person he scanned until he found a good match.

"Straight ahead." he told her before taking the first step.

Looking around there weren't many families to be seen, but there were no shortage on little kids running around. What were they? Like she knew, the world of monsters still made her question things.

"When I was a kid I always thought monsters were just things of fairy tails. Nothing like this." she said out of the blue.

"That's something you'll learn. In the olden days they use to kill and devour humans, but after the great Hunt many fled for their lives. Knowing someone could and would kill you on sight isn't a good feeling Rachel."

"I know, but it's still weird you know?"

"Indeed, even I feared for my life after encountering my first owner. But after hearing about this place I decided to hitch a hide on a cargo boat and chill here for a while. I thought I told you this."

"You did, but why leave?"

"Heh well let's just say my previous owner in the U.K didn't take kindly to what I really was. You should have seen him, running like a little wimp. I thought young people today liked large robots." he scoffed.

"Hehe well I like you." she told him before hugging his metal arm.

Could robots blush? Because if he could he would have been a deep red. Even from a human woman it still felt good to have her softer body pressed against his. They'd only known each other for a month, but even then he felt a connection between them both.

"Yeah, also they're just ahead." he pointed out.

"Yay!" she cheered as they came up on the ground.

Among them stood a tall man with grayish skin, eyes with no pupils, and who wore an old army uniform. Next to him was a girl who stood at about her height, white hair, red eyes, must have been another vampire. And lastly stood a dark-skinned boy who had a buzz cut, and who wore only a tank top and jeans. Were these really the people he'd told her about.

"Excuse me, are you friends with Alucard?" Axel asked as they approached.

"Yep, and you two must me Rachel and Axel. My brother said you two kind of stole his thunder yesterday." she said.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." she said with a nervous chuckle.

"Don't be, he needs to be taken down a peg every once in a while. Anyways, I'm Ela, his younger sister, this is Jerel, his best friend and my lover, and this big guy here is Frank, our instructor."

"Wow, you're pretty big." Rachel said to Frank.

"Thanks little lady, I was made that way. And you, you're quite the tall guy yourself. Put her there." he told Axel before extending his hand for a shake.

"It's a pleasure for me as well." he replied before giving his hand a good grip.

"Grrr, good grip you got there." he said before letting go.

Someone was missing though as Ela looked around for her brother.

"Before we get started, have you seen my brother? I swear he said he'd be here." she questioned.

"He's, caught up in something right here." she answered.

"Oh, huh, well maybe he'll come by later."

"Maybe, but for now it's time we get this show on the road." Jerel said as he pulled out a laptop.

So what exactly were they going to do? She still had no clue as to what was going on, but they seemed to know everything. While standing there she watched as Jerel typed something in while his girlfriend opened up a panel attached to a large pole that sat beside them.

"Alright, I think we're all set here. You two ready?" she asked.

"For what exactly?" she asked nervously.

"For your fight. This is but step one to becoming one of us, that is if you're not too chicken." Ela teased.

"Now you, don't go scaring her like that. Look, everyone has to do this, no questions asked. So unless you feel like backing out now, get in there and let's see what you got." Frank told her as he opened the door to the large arena.

Why was she getting so nervous? She'd done this plenty of times before. So why now? Was it because of what Alucard had told her about being a protector? Or maybe it was the risk of losing, and in such losing the chance to become something better for her little Tanner.

"If you're not feeling up to it, you're always welcome to quit." Jerel told her as she struggled with her decision.

"It's now or never. Either way, we've got things to do." Ela said before grabbing the gate.

"Wait! We'll do it." she answered.

"Rachel, are you sure? After all, you've only just gotten the hang of wielding me a few days ago."

"Yeah, I'm sure." she answered before they entered the arena.

"Alright, but if at any time you feel unable to continue just call out to me." Frank told her.

With all that in mind the anticipation and nerves were getting to her. What kind of vile creature would they be pitting her against? Nothing too dangerous she hoped while entering the circular space. Once inside, it was on as Jerel activated the barrier around her. Now that surprised her as she looked around in a panic.

"Relax, it's only a barrier to ensure the safety of everyone else here. Like Frank here said, if you're not up to it just give us a signal and we'll be good to go." Jerel told her.

"You think she's got a chance?" Ela asked.

"Hard to say. If she's been doing this before, then yeah there's a chance she could win, but then again we've ready something a little special." he answered before hitting Esc

And just like that the test began as the gates before them opened up. At first all they could hear were a few growls, then from the darkness jumped a creature that looked like a cross between a dog and a monkey. Even its tail had a set of claws. The scales along its back stood up as its piercing yellow eyes glared at them with such hate and hunger.

"Ahuizotl, male, it's back and head are protected by armor like scales that protect it from enemy fire. Solution? Its underside." Axel told her while examining the creature.

"Seems simple enough." she said as he transformed into a katana.

To her it seemed like a simple enough enemy, but this beast had more tricks up its sleeves, and it was prepared to use them at all cost. With her mind-set though she charged forward as the creature pulled back its head. With her eyes on the prize she raised she sword, but not before getting blasted by one of its howls. It wasn't finished with her yet. With its prey down it lunged at her tail claws first as they tried stabbing her in the heart, but with a quick roll she was able to cheat death.

"Who's this again?" Ela asked.

"Prisoner A26, Ahuizotl. Caught devouring a mother and her children around a month ago. It was to be executed a few weeks from now, but I decided to let it have a bit of fun before its end comes." Frank replied with a satisfied grin.

"You're joking right? You're really throwing something that dangerous at her?" Ela asked curiously.

"Yep." was all he gave her.

"Ah...run girl run!" she cried out.

"I know!" she cried out as the beast kept scratching away at her leather suit.

Though she'd faced several monsters before, they seemed tame compared to this thing. Its speed was much faster, its body was much more nimble, and that tail was really getting on her nerves. But then it hit her, if she dodged at just the right time perhaps she could get the jump on it. It was worth a shot at least.

"Axel, I'm gonna try something a little crazy okay?" she told him before lifting him up.

"Wouldn't be the first time." he replied before charging the blade with his energy.

"True that." she replied before charging forward.

The timing need to be perfect, or else she'd find herself in a world of trouble. With its eyes focused on her, it opened its maw to let out another sound wave, but this time she was ready. Judging by how wide it was last time, she easily spun to the side as the wave hit the barrier. And with step one down step two began as she swung her blade up, in an attempt to reveal its vulnerable underbelly.

"Now Rachel, finish it!" Axel called out as she swung up.

But as Frank knew, killing it wouldn't be that easy.

"Heh, it's not gonna work." he said.

And right he was. Instead of taking the hit, it used its claw tail to grab a hold of her weapon; pulling it from her hands before lunging for her.

"Rachel!" he called out as he transformed back.

Her life was over, or so she though, before her partner grabbed its jaws. With all his strength he kept it from biting off his fingers, but power would only last so long. Sooner or later he'd have to let go, unless he wanted no fingers. But how could they beat it? She wasn't strong enough to pierce its back, and the thing was too clever quick for them to flip it. They were running out of options.

"Arg, Rachel listen to me. Ugh, do you see a glowing orange button on my back?" he grunted while his fingers began chipping.

"Huh, oh yeah. This one?" she asked as she touched the surface.

"Yeah, do you really trust me?"

"Yeah of course."

"Rachel..." he replied in his suspicion.

"Axel..." she exclaimed.

"Not helping. Listen, you need to trust me on this. You see that glowing button on my back? Push it, but I need you to be with me on this. Now, do you trust me?" he asked while pushing back.

They had only met a month ago, but in that time he'd saved her hide many times. And now, it was her turn to help him. With her mind clear she reached for the button; giving it a good push. Afterwards, things got a little more interesting. While pulling her hand away glowing blue lines began appearing all over her body.

"W-What's happening?" she asked, worried as her body began tingling.

"Just focus on me." he replied before letting go.

"Alright, I trust you." she softly replied as the lined enveloped her body.

Who knew if this would work, but it was better than letting her get eaten. While inside the void of light she could heard gears clicking and turning.

"What's going on? Where's Axel?" she asked worryingly while looking around.

But like an angel from heaven she heard his voice echo inside her head.

"You're not alone in this, and I'll prove it to you now!" he exclaimed with great passion.

She could feel it, the support she needed to move forward, to protect those important to her. It was unimaginable as she felt herself meld with the light.

"Thank you Axel, please give me your strength." she asked while smiling.

"Very well, now, let's continue shall we?" he asked as the arena came back into view.

Everything appeared normal, everything except her. While their opponent was busy regaining its vision she noticed something different about her hands and legs, they were made of metal. Not only were they, but every inch of her body vanished under the metal body. She couldn't believe it, even her body was shaking as she tried comprehending what just happened.

"Relax, I can feel your heart rate increasing. What I've done is rare among other monsters, but it should help." he told her.

"What is it though? And why do I feel so normal?" she asked while moving around in her body.

"Our bodies and spirits are now one, and you now have control over my power. Just visualize what you want, and let it rip." he answered.

The feeling of trust and confidence overwhelmed her as she saw the beast recover from its blindness, and with her new powers who knew what she was capable of. Well, there was only one way to find out. As it charged up for another blast she focused only on what she needed.

"Alright think Rachel, shock-wave, something that's faster." she thought before extending her right arm.

In her mind an image appeared as her arm began shifting and turning; changing into just what she needed to give her an edge in battle. Before her was a large plasma blaster; charged and ready to let loose.

"Excellent, now show it what you've got." Axel said as she took aim.

There were no questions there as she pulled the trigger in her mind. With a loud boom the bolt of plasma launched; slicing right through its shockwave attack before hitting its mark inside its mouth. Unfortunately she wasn't unscathed as the wave threw her back.

"It seems we've damaged him, to an extent." he told her as she caught her balance.

"So what now? Just go with what feels right?" she asked as the beast roared in pain.

"Precisely."

"Good enough for me." she said with a satisfied grin.

While in pain it also gave them the perfect opportunity to deliver a second strike. With her arm switch from a gun to a sword she charged forward while it threw its claws forward in trying to stop her, but it proved useless as she dodged left and right, before cutting off its main method of attack, its tail.

"This is incredible, I feel so much more nimble and free."

"Heh that's my partner. Now you're truly wielding me!"

"And it feels great!" she cried as she dodged another roar.

This power, it was magnificent. What she'd fears as a human, she feared no more. She had the courage, the determination, and the will to push forward. Never would she stop protecting those important to her, and never would she falter. On this day, she'd pledge to not only defend her son, but the whole city if she had to!

"You're blood's really flowing. Did this make you excited?" he asked curiously while having a feeling she was enjoying herself.

"You have no idea." she replied before the thrusters around her ankles activated.

Even as a machine she found herself able to move just as smoothly as she had when human. Such an amazing feeling had come over her, a feeling of pride and accomplishment.

"You're seeing this right?" Jerel asked, stunned by what had happened.

"Yeah huh." she replied as the three of them watched on in excitement.

One move, that's all it would take to finish it off. While it flailed in pain she took the opportunity to use her increased strength to knock it into the air with her blade, and with her target airborne she took aim before blasting open its stomach; spilling its blood before it could even turn to ashes.

"Huh, five minutes. Not bad for a newbie." Frank said as he wrote it down on his clip board.

"But is she alright." Ela wondered as they watched her stand there, her body drained of nearly all its energy.

It seemed as they separated from each other before her head began spinning. Luckily she had her partner there to catch her.

"A big rush huh?" he asked.

"Kinda, yeah." she said before standing up straight.

"Don't worry, you'll get use to it after a while. Not bad for a first timer though. You really took advantage of me. How'd it feel?" he asked.

"Pretty good, like I could do everything I'd done before, but ten times better." she answered.

"Told ya." he said as they left.

He wasn't the only one there to congratulate her though. Everyone that had watched was there with smiles on their faces, or in Frank's case a satisfied smirk.

"That was awesome! You were getting wrecked out there, but then you two combined into some cool robot and just...boom." Ela squeed, her mind blown by the events that transpired.

"Very interesting, you wouldn't mind if I ran a few tests on you right?" Jerel asked Axel.

"Uh sure?"

"What about you?" Rachel asked Frank.

"Hm...you're form was fairly nice, but you'll need to improve on the flow of your attacks. I'd say you're good though." he told her with a thumbs up included.

"Good." she sighed with relief.

But something was still missing, or someone as she looked around.

"Where's Alucard?"

"Good question, I swore he said he'd be around for this. Maybe he got caught up with something else." replied Ela.

They had no idea. Because of Julie he was unable to make it to her fight, and instead found himself being dragged down the street drenched in sea water and covered in her matter.

"Come on Juls, can't we talk about this?" he asked in hope of some mercy.

No answer was given, but instead a sinister smirk that sent chills down his spine.

"Help me!" he called out to a nearby pick up truck.

Nothing, he's screwed up royally.


End file.
